The Saudi Film Festival concludes its eighth session this evening, lasting 7 days and deals with the theme of “Poetry Cinema”, organized by the Cinema Association in association with King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture “Idra”. , And with the support of the Film Commission of the Ministry of Culture.

The festival featured 80 film shows, 9 seminars and talk sessions and 5 special workshops between Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, Arabia and international countries, and during this session the “Production Market” was a major turning point for the festival with 16 local participants. And international production organizations, with the aim of promoting and supporting cinematic works and promising talents in the country.

(Today) a group of filmmakers and experts met and talked about this exceptional session, their aspirations for the upcoming sessions and the highlights of the festival.

Visual development

Screenwriter Hannah al-Fassi spoke about the start of the festival in 2015, as she won the jury prize for her graduation film “The Last Suhoor”. To the text of “Al-Kamkm”, al-Fassi believes that the festival is one of the most important festivals; The festival undertakes the task of creating scenes and allocating competition and prizes for them, as there are more opportunities than others to connect and strengthen the relationship between filmmakers. Contributes to the development laboratory, the text goes to advanced stages and helps to connect writers and producers, which is an advanced stage in the film industry in the kingdom.

Emirati director Abdul Rahman Al-Madani, who will be attending the art meeting “The Beast”, expressed his delight at being screened for the first time in the kingdom at the Saudi Film Festival: the beauty of the festival. It brings together Saudi directors and filmmakers with strong artistic talents, unlike other festivals where only international filmmakers can gather.

Al-Madani starred in the film “Lemon” in 2019, and he believes the festival has undergone major changes in terms of attendance and audience interaction, and added the opportunity to add the phrase “Questions to the audience” after the show. The Saudi Film Festival, which highlights the importance of the festivals, especially focusing on the talents of the Gulf and Arab region, promotes the connection between them and brings them together. Roof.

Additional acting director Hosam al-Zahrani said he had made his first appearance at a Saudi film festival with the film “Arrow of Condolence” and regretted attending the festival for the first time since. Since its inception, his participation and daily visits have contributed to strengthening his relationship with filmmakers and experts and gaining experiences from them. , Which did not yield much benefit.

He pointed out that the film’s filmmakers from different parts of Saudi Arabia came together in one place, under one roof, and with cooperation and professional brotherhood, the festival’s closeness between its producers was amazing. For 7 days full of surprises and benefits.

Al-Zahrani submitted a proposal to the festival management to set aside an additional exhibition hall so that the filmmakers could rent the hall to show their films in additional scenes on the table, to present it in greater numbers and to hear it. Different ideas and views.

More opportunities

Producer and director Zahra Al-Naqlawi confirmed that the festival’s status has grown significantly and significantly over the past year, as there are more opportunities for production companies (whether internal or external) and market participants to learn about everything offered. The theater, as well as the exchange of interests between the parties and the collaboration to create more works that contribute to the development of the film and cinema industry in the kingdom, highlights the need for the festival to focus on the first experiences of any filmmaker, God willing. Looking for an opportunity to embrace his talents, learn about other talents of young people, exchange interests, and conduct sessions to help integrate them with each other. What sets this festival apart is its intense focus on Saudi cinema, which sets it apart from other festivals.

Hajar al-Naim, a business member of the Product Market Arbitration Board, said the festival’s status was growing exponentially each year, adding that the manufacturing market was becoming a major addition and increasing the size of the festival. The previous stage, and embraced a large number of filmmakers, created a space for communication, meeting and conversation. Very high and exceeded expectations, and many films are in competition with each other, and the market emphasis is on allowing the film industry to build relationships and share business with companies.

Increased competition

Producer Jumana Qureshi, who has qualified for the production market through 3 film projects, said that the eighth session saw a huge growth not only in additional prizes but also in the number of participants in the production market. Identify and communicate with companies and services in the industry. Interviewing experts across the market also reduces time and effort, increased my information output for current time and my future projects, and increased the business ceiling, which increased competition among filmmakers to deliver their best works and their He also praised the collaboration and support between the Saudi Film Festival and the Red Sea International Film Festival. And special discussion sessions, all gathered in one place.

16 Local and international manufacturers to promote and support the business

The “Questions with the audience” section provided an opportunity to learn about the viewer’s views and tendencies.

The “production market” became a major turning point during this cycle

The development lab will contribute to the richness of the text and help connect writers and producers